10.28.2007 | 9:29 pm
Back on August 26, I posted that my good friend Kenny, while riding alone on his mountain bike, had crashed, breaking his hip.
For those of you too lazy to do the math, that’s pretty close to exactly two months ago.
So, guess what Kenny (and Brad and Botched and others) have done a couple times this past week?
Here, I’ll give you a hint:
Yep, Kenny’s riding again, two months after busting his hip. Well, actually “two months” isn’t right either, because he’s been riding on the road for a couple weeks already.
He just couldn’t help himself.
I’m pleased to announce, in any case, that because Kenny has been off the bike and basically unable to walk, that I am quite a bit faster than he is.
No, that’s not true. Even after having been off the bike for a couple months, Kenny’s still fitter and faster than I am.
Kenny is the nicest mutant you will ever meet.
Wherein I Learn a Cool New Trick With My Camera
As I’ve mentioned a few times, I’ve been riding with my Canon TX1 in my jersey pocket lately — it’s turning out to be a great camera / camcorder for biking.
While reading the manual Friday night (yeah, sometimes I read tech manuals for fun), I found out about the “Continuous Shot” feature, where you can just hold down the trigger and the camera takes a picture every quarter second or so.
That, I thought, would be awesome for mountain biking.
Here’s my first whack at using it:
OK, it’s possible that doing a continuous shot of Brad stretching out wasn’t the most exciting possible use of this feature.
The next couple of tries were better, though. Here’s Brad flying down a rocky section of the trail:
And Kenny zooming down a nice stretch of wet leaf-covered singletrack:
I dunno, folks. He looks kinda tentative to me.
Oh, and here’s me. Same stretch as Kenny, about a minute later. I’d like to call your attention to my quads in the second image. Click on the photo to see it at higher resolution if you need to.:
“Oh no,” I can imagine some of you saying. “Fatty’s going to start always showing dozens of images where one would suffice.”
No, I’m not. I just wanted to do a little show and tell here. I’m excited about my toy.
But I do have to say that I like what this Continuous Shot feature on my camera implies for my pics. I’ve never had a great sense of “moment” with my photos. With this feature and an 8Gb card in the camera, I don’t need to be a great photographer. I just have to keep the lens open and my finger down on the trigger.
I won’t be able to help but get the great shot at least once in a while.
Comments (39)
10.26.2007 | 8:00 am
I have owned a lot of bicycles in my time. How many? Well, enough that I intended to actually start today’s post with “I have owned XX bicycles in my time,” but every time I try to count, I get lost somewhere along the way.
So we’ll stick with: I have owned a lot of bikes.
Each of these bikes has had one thing in common: they were good, workman-like bikes. Bikes I could and did (and do) treat roughly, without much in the way of regard for the paint job.
Take for example that sexy new Waltworks / Twin Six Custom Stock I talked about earlier this week. Well, currently that bike is in the back of my truck with three rides worth of dried mud on it. Drivetrain’s still good, though, so I have no intention of cleaning it anytime soon.
The Ibis Silk Carbon road bike I have? Drivetrain’s clean. Definitely some grime on the underside of the downtube.
Hey, they’re bikes. Whether I’m riding on the road or dirt, I fully expect the bike to get dirty, and for the paint to get chipped.
And that is why I will not allow myself to get a Vanilla Bicycle.
Elegance
I found out about Vanilla Bicycles via a comment on this blog, actually, just a few days ago. One of you were talking about how you just got one. So of course I went to take a look at what this bike manufacturer I had never heard of has to offer.
And then I spent ninety minutes, just looking at the photographs.
I mean, I’ve always thought lugs were kind of cool, but I have never — until now — spent ten minutes just drooling over a photograph of them.
And apparently, I’m not the only one who’s doing some serious drooling over Vanilla Bicycles. The website mentions there’s currently a four-year wait list.
That is quite a while.
You know what, though? Four years isn’t that long. I could wait four years for a bike this beautiful.
Excuse me, I need a moment to myself while I look at this dropout.
Okay, I’m back.
So, while I was looking at this website, poring over the works of art Sacha White — the sole builder for Vanilla Bicycles — creates, Dug IM’d me. “Have you been over to the Vanilla site?” he asked.
“I’m there right now,” I replied. We then IM’d for the next twenty minutes over what kind of bike we’d have built — we both gravitated toward a SS road bike to keep the look as pure as possible — and what kind of color schemes we liked best and what kind of upgrades we’d want.
The consensus was that if you’re going to wait 4+ years for a bike, you may as well get your ultimate dream frame. And since you’re going to spend a whole lot of money on it no matter what, you may as well not pinch pennies anywhere: get the polished dropouts. Get the polished, hand-carved lugs. Get the polished “Vanilla” script.
Hey, why not? You’ve got four years to save up for it.
The Problem
Here’s the thing, though. I couldn’t have a bike like this. If I bought it, I wouldn’t ride it. I’d be afraid to. What if I crashed it? What if it got stolen? What if the bike had ordinary wear and tear?
I couldn’t bear it.
I’d leave my ultimate dream bike at home, safe. Probably hanging on a wall, with track lighting pointing toward it. I would then ride one of my other bikes, one that could be replaced (and which are in fact quite regularly replaced, which I’ll talk about next week) without my feeling sad or bad about it.
The Questions
I expect that some of you readers do in fact have bikes that are works of art — whether they are Vanilla Bicycles or some other gifted bicycle maker. I’d like to ask you the following questions: Do you ride it? And if so, how? Are you able to somehow put aside the worry that you could lose, damage or destroy your bike?
I’m not being facetious. I really want to know how you do it.
And, for the rest of us, I have another question: What other small bike manufacturers are out there making mind-blowingly beautiful bikes? Let’s see some links.
I may never own one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to look.
PS: As a couple commenters have noted, Bike Snob NYC and I have some weird synergy going on between our posts today. Be sure to take a look at what he has to say.
Comments (115)
10.25.2007 | 8:43 am
Here are a few facts about my life as of late:
- I’ve been stressed out because of Susan’s cancer and her decreased mobility
- I’ve been stressed out because of work
- I eat when I’m stressed
- I’ve had time to ride maybe twice or thrice per week
- When I’ve been riding, I’ve been taking it easy
- There is between fifteen and seventeen pounds of “Fun Size” candy bars in my house
- Days are shorter and colder, and comfort food sounds better than raw greens and fruit
- The shorter, colder days also cause me to feel like climbing into a cave and sleeping until March. Oh, also I have this strange urge to swat salmon out of the river.
You’ll be surprised to find, therefore, that I’ve started gaining weight. Just like I do every autumn.
Warning Signs
When I was working off the weight for Leadville, I knew I’d never stay in the 140s. Too much work. So I knew I wouldn’t be able to wear the Medium sized jerseys forever.
I no longer even contemplate the Medium jerseys, and the Large jerseys are getting a little tight.
For some reason, there are particular pants in my closet that I no longer want to wear. They just aren’t as comfortable as they used to be. And I’ve reverted to my old habit of leaving shirts untucked. Strange.
How much do I weigh? Well, I have a pretty good idea, but not because I’ve actually been weighing myself. Oddly, I find myself scale-averse at this moment in time. Let’s just say that I’d be surprised if I’m still in the 150’s.
The Plan
Usually, when I start gaining my winter weight (always well ahead of winter), I get angry at myself, even as I help myself to a second carne asada burrito (extra cheese, add guacamole, thanks).
I’m doing something different this year: I’m embracing my fat.
No, not literally.
I’m accepting the fact that it’s been a crazy couple of months. I haven’t had the time nor willpower to stay light, and while my work life has calmed down (I completed the document that was giving my conniptions, and am happy to announce that I have not been fired), my desire to break the world record in fish taco consumption has not.
So I’m giving myself a pass. I’m going to eat what I want, when I want, all the way through Fall Moab (November 9 – 11).
On Halloween, I will gorge on candy — heavy emphasis on 3 Muskateers, Milky Way, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It will be a spectacle. You would be amazed.
While at Fall Moab, I will prove, once and for all, that nobody can eat more bratwurst than I. This is my superpower, folks, and I’m going to show it off a bit.
Then, on November 12, I’m going to start a Winter riding and dieting plan. I will begin eating right. I will begin riding consistently and according to whatever plan my coach, Robert Lofgran, gives me.
Except for on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.
In other words, by the time the new year rolls around, my weight should be right around 200.
Contest
Hey, we should have a guessing game around my weight. Knowing what you know now, what will be my weight on January 2nd?
I’ll give a Fat Cyclist T-shirt to the person who guesses closest.
PS: I apologize to each and every one of you for making AC/DC’s “Back in Black” the earwig you’ll be living with for the rest of the day.
Comments (91)
10.24.2007 | 8:05 am
What is it about the first time you ride a bike? You notice everything, thinking constantly about how it feels, how it’s different from your old bike, how it’s the same, how it climbs, how it descends.
Looking for confirmation that, yes, this was the right bike.
Well, that’s what I was going through yesterday as I rode my brand-new Waltworks Custom Stock — a collaboration between WaltWorks and Twin Six.
Check it out (image pops to larger version):
I went with the “Custom Stock Complete,” with a few modifications — I moved my XTR cranks, Chris King Pretty and Strong headset, carbon fork, and SLR saddle over from the Weapon of Choice.
Oh, and one other modification: I put on the On-One Mary bar sent to me by one of the B7 contestants (whoever you are, thank you. Somehow, I lost your name and email. because I’m a loser). More about the Mary bar in a moment.
It’s a very sexy bike. As in, the sexiest bike I have ever owned. WaltWorks makes a great frame, and Twin Six went with a steel-grey and black color scheme that just looks stealthy cool.
Brad is Cool
So Brad and I got together for a lunch ride yesterday. Brad already rides a WaltWorks, so I showed up with a spare WaltWorks jersey for him. Which meant that we had this whole matching jersey thing going on, which is ordinarily best to avoid. But this was a special occasion, so what the heck.
“Did you bring a camera?” Brad asked. I pretty much always have my camera with me when I ride nowadays, so I said yes.
“Let me have it,” Brad said, and went on to say he was going to take a bunch of pictures of me riding today. “It’s not every day you have a first ride on a bike like this,” Brad said.
And so, for the duration of the ride, Brad would in turn shoot ahead to get photos of me coming up the trail, then take pictures as I went by. From time to time, he would ride side-by-side with me, risking a crash for action photos.
Let’s take a look at what he got (click any image to see a larger version in a new window).
Here I’m rowing up a steep hairpin turn. I’ve only been on the bike for twenty minutes, but I’ve already decided I love the feel of the bike. Steel feels good, the geometry feels natural, and the bike fits great.
It took exactly one climb for me to decide I like the Mary bars for out-of-the-saddle climbing. The position of the grips puts your hands in a comfortable position with great leverage.
What new bike camera shoot would be complete without a posed photo? Say, what does that water bottle say?
Oh. Well, that makes sense. So far, everyone who has seen this bottle wants one. Naturally, Twin Six sells them.
Brad and his self-painted WaltWorks. Creamsicle orange. Sassy.
I’m not totally comfortable with the Mary bars on the downhill yet.
Must…keep…turning…cranks….
Brad takes a self-portrait while riding his bike. Don’t try this at home, kids.
I didn’t clean this one. Brad says it’s good to have a “humility shot” as part of the series. Fair enough.
Two Declarations
After my first ride yesterday, I hereby declare the following:
- I really, really like this bike. I need to put a longer stem on (i.e., I should’ve put on the one that the Twin Six guys sent me instead of the shorter one) to compensate for the sweep of the Mary bar, but otherwise this bike is already dialed. I can tell that Fall Moab is going to be a great success.
- Brad’s Photo Shoot Idea is Genius. The next time I ride with someone who’s just got a new bike and is taking it out for the first time, I’m going to make sure I bring my camera and get lotsa pictures. Cuz it’s very cool to have these.
Comments (49)
10.23.2007 | 5:30 am
A Note from Fatty: Congratulations to KatieA978, who had a story truly worthy enough of the Laser Beams of Death:
I might have used it on the idiot young man who once reached out of his car (passenger) and grabbed my seat whilst I was going up a hill out of the saddle. Luckily I had figured the car was going to do SOMETHING stupid, cause you could hear them coming a mile off. I don’t like gravel rash, and I’ve managed to avoid it most times, but I got it that day, and almost went under the wheel of their car.
Do the Laser Beams of Death come with turbo boosters so I could have caught up to them?? And who is that stupid / drunk at 10am in the morning??!!
Ignorance is irritating, and stupidity is sad, but ignorance + stupidity + evilness of this calibre doesn’t simply justify the Laser Beams of Death, it requires them.
Katie, email me your address and t-shirt size, and I’ll get you your very own Fat Cyclist T-Shirt (yes, even though I’ll have to cough up the postage to send it to Australia).
Another Note from Fatty: Halloween’s coming, which is the chocolatiest holiday of all. In my BikeRadar story today, I give you eight very handy costume ideas. You can read on for a preview of the story, or you can click here to read the whole thing. By the way, BikeRadar’s comments section is working properly now, so feel free to post your own cycling Halloween costume idea.
8 Halloween Costume Ideas for Cyclists
As a cyclist, you are much, much better equipped for Halloween than the average person. Why? Because you already wear outrageous costumes on a daily basis.
Think about it. Even though you are a (presumably) sane adult, you wear a shirt that would look much more at home on a superhero. You wear shorts that are much, much too tight, as if you were on your way to lead a jazzercize class. You wear a hat that belongs on an alien.
And, to top the whole look off, you wear what sound and look like tap-dancing shoes.
It’s no wonder, then, that cyclists tend to be pretty lazy about dressing up for Halloween parties. Instead of putting time and money into it, you just show up in the outfit you rode to the party in. Hey, why not? A little sweat completes the effect, right?
What you don’t realize, though, is that all your friends, family and co-workers are rolling their eyes at your lack of imagination. “There goes Tim,” they say, “pretending again that his cycling outfit is a Halloween costume.”
It doesn’t have to be that way, my friend.
By spending just a few extra minutes, you can alter your cycling outfit for the evening, making it so you’re not just “a cyclist” at the party, but a very particular sort of cyclist. Simply follow these easy instructions.
Doping Cyclist: Dress up in full pro kit. Use a marker to draw needle tracks up and down one arm. Tie a length of surgical tubing above one elbow and leave a syringe sticking out of your vein. Wheel around an IV tower for the duration of the party. Stuff your jersey pockets with bottles of drugs. When anyone asks what / who you are, respond that you are a professional cyclist. When they ask what all the needles and drugs are for, say you have no idea what they’re talking about. No matter what, do not admit you have any drug-related items on hand.
Click here to continue reading 8 Halloween Costumes for Cyclists at BikeRadar.
Comments (30)
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